Mop



Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Mor .laines H. Johnson, Kansas City, Mo. Appiiaiicn April io, 1939, serial No. 266,956

5 Claims. (Cl. 157-14'7) i My invention relates to riiops, and more particularly to those of the character which include "a 'mop fixture equipped with a removable hood,

and hasfor its principal object to provide a fixture having a i'esiliently expanding frame for tightening the hood thereon and collapsible on a hinge joint to facilitate removal of the hood for replacement or cleansing purposes.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a pivotal connection between the frame and handle whereby the handle is readily attached and demounted without the use of fastening devices such "as bolts and the like; and to provide cam action between the frame and handle yoke which cooperates with the spring action in the frame tocciitrol pivotal movement of the frame relatively tothe handle.

In accomplishing tlieseand other objects of the invention, ashereinafter described,` I have provided improved details of structure, the preierred form of which isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a mop embody.- inglwthe features of the present invention.

Fig". 2 is a perspective View of the mop fixture showing the frame collapsed in width to facilitate application of the mop hood or to aid in disconnection of the frame from the handle.

Fig.` 3 is a longitudinal section through the niop fixture with the handle being shown in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the fixture, a portion of the handle being broken away to better illustrate attachment of the handle connecting yoke.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates a mop including a fixture 2 mounting a hood 3. The xture includes a wirelike frame that is formed by bending a relatively stiff but resilient wire at a point intermediate its ends to provide a rounded toe 4 and laterally diverging side bars 5 and 6 which are bent at the heel 1 of the frame on substantially semi-circular curves 8 and 9 terminating in bar portions Ill and II`. The bar portions I and I I extend substantially parallel with the side bars and 6,

as clearly shown in Fig. 4, to form spreaders for ing peened over the eye as shown at I6 to retain the eye thereon and form a hinge connection.

VThe eye and pintle thus forni a hinge connection whereby the bar portions IU and II are adapted to hinge when the side bars of the frame are moved inwardly at the heel of the fixture as shown in Fig'. 2, to mount the handle I'I and facilitate application of the hood, as later described.

The side bar portions of the frame have insets `substantially midway between the toe and heel portions as at Ill and I9, and the insets are twisted to form loops or eyes 20 and 2l. The eyes are located above the plane o'f the side bars and are setso that the outer sides thereof form cam-like outer surfaces 22 and 23 located in planes diverging from the heel portion of the frame.

The handle Il has grooves 24 Vin the opposite sides thereof and located in registry with a transverse opening 25 that is spaced frein the upper ends thereof. Engaged in the grooves is a wire `Zilliaving bent portions 29 forming a cross bar29 engaging within the opening 25 as best shown in Fig. 4. The opposite ends of the wire terminate in laterally diverging branches Sil and 3| having laterally, inwardly extending trunnions 32 and 33 engaging Within the eyes 20 and 2|.

The branches are preferably provided with offsets 34 so that the portions thereof engaging the cam-like outer surfaces of the eyes are substantially parallel therewith. The wires thus form a yoke-like connection for the handle and are retained in fixed engagement by a ferrule 35 engaging over the portions of the wires received in the grooves of the handle.

For enhancing the appearance and providing a bumper, the end of the handle carries a resilient pad 3S, attached by a nail, or the equivalent, 3l.

In applying the handle, one of the trunnions is passed through an eye from the outer side thereof and pressure is applied to the side bars 5 and 6 to effect contraction of the spreading portion of the heel as shown in Fig. 2. The spacing between the eyes is thus shortened so that when the handle of the mop is brought to a position substantially parallel with the mop frame, the other trunnion will pass through the opposite eye upon release of the collapsing pressure, and the handle is retained in hinged connection with the frame. As the handle is raised from position parallel with the plane of the mop frame, the diverging branches 30 and 3l move over the cam-like outer surfaces 22 and 23 of the eyes to draw the side bars toward each other in opposition to the resilient, spring-like character thereof so that the spring and cam normally tend to return the frame to parallel position with respect to the handle.

The hood 3 is of conventional design and is in the form of a pocket 38 shaped to conform to the f frame when the heel portion thereof is expanded as shown in Fig. 4. The top cover 39 of the pocket is provided with an opening 40 through which the frame is inserted. In applying the hood, the toe of the frame is slipped through the opening i0 to engage in the toe portion 4i of the pocket. The hood is then shifted slightly out of alignment with the frame to pass one of the spreader portions of the heel, whereupon the hood is again shifted into alignment with the frame which brings the circular portion 3 into the corner 42 of the pocket. By applying pressure againstv the other portion of the heel it is moved to position so that the semicircular portion 9 will pass through the insert opening il. Upon release of the collapsing pressure the normal spring tension returns the frame to its normal shape so that the circular portion 9 is engaged in the corner i3 of the pocket. It is obvious that during flexure of the frame on the toe portion thereof the inner bar portions I0 and I l hinge freely on the pintle and eye connection. The trunnions 32 and 33 will, of course, shift in the eyes but they will not displace therefrom because the handle is in angular position with respect to the frame and the spacing between the trunnions of the yoke is less than the spacing between the cam surfaces at this point.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a mop frame having sufficient internal spring action so that the heel portion may be collapsed to facilitate application and removal of the hood and to effect ready application of the handle Without the use of conventional bolts and the like. The spring action in the frame and the cam-like surfaces of the eyes provide a hinged joint between the handle and frame having sufiicient resistance to control hinging movement of the mop head on the handle. It is also obvious that the frame is easily collapsed since the bar portions l0 and l l hinge freely on their hinge connection with the side bars of the frame iiexing on the curved toe portion 4.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mop frame including, a resilient Wire bent to form outer side bar portions and inner bar portions connected with said outer side bar portions by heel portions, eyes formed in said outer side bar portions and arranged with the axes of the openings formed by said eyes extending transversely of the frame, and means hingedly connecting said inner bar portions on an axis extending substantially at right angles to the plane of said Vframe whereby said outer side bar portions are adapted to be moved toward each other for facilitating application of a hood to said frame.

2. A mop frame including side bar portions extending from a toe portion and terminating in divided heel portions, means hingedly connecting said heel portions and means on said side bar portions for pivotally connecting a handle on an axis transversely of the frame.

3. A mop frame including side bar portions extending from a toe portion and terminating in divided heel portions, the terminals of said heel portions having a pintle and an eye engaging over said pintle to form a hinge joint with its axis arranged at substantially right angles to a plane extending through said side bar portions whereby said heel portions are adapted to be moved to and from each other for facilitating application of a hood to said frame.

4. A mop frame including side bar portions extending from a toe portion and terminating in heel portions, the terminals of said heel portions having a pintle with its axis extending at substantially right angles with a plane of said frame which includes said side bar portions and an eye engaging over said pintle to form a hinge joint on which said heel portions are adapted to be moved toward each other for application of a mop hood and to cooperate with the toe portion to spread sa'id heel portions, eyes formed on said side bar portions, and a handle attaching yoke including trunnions pivotally engaging in said eyes of the side bar portions.

5. A mop frame including side bar portions extending from a toe portion and terminating in divided heel portions, means hingedly connecting said heel portions on an axis extending substantially at right angles to a plane of the frame which includes said side bar portions, eyes formed on said side bar portions, and a handle attaching yoke including trunnions pivotally and slidably engaging in said eyes of the side bar portions.

JAMES H. JOHNSON. 

